著者

松本 眞一 Shinichi Matsumoto 桃山学院大学社会学部

出版者

桃山学院大学総合研究所

雑誌

桃山学院大学社会学論集 (ISSN:02876647)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.39, no.2, pp.51-74, 2006-02

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This study aims to research on child welfare in Canada in two aspects: 1)child welfare in general including the administrative system, as well as child welfare programs and services: 2)the definition of abuse, and the current situation of child abuse and protection in Canada. The study finds that child welfare in Canadian history has been slowly but ceaselessly improved to some extent. The department of social services, or its equivalent, in each province/territory is responsible for the design and delivery of child welfare services under the administrative system of decentralizing the services to communities. The departments are situated within the provincial ministry that deals with social services or health, or in some jurisdictions, children and families. The decentralization of child welfare services has led some jurisdictions to establish community based, non-profit agencies as the primary delivery mode for child welfare and adoption services. These agencies operate under boards of directors according to the administrative statutes and regulations in provincial legislation that pertain to child welfare, public administration or adoption. In each jurisdiction, a wide variety of child and family programs and services are provided. Child welfare programs and services in Canada are divided roughly into four fields: 1)Programs related to family formation, 2)Alternative child care programs, 3)Youth programs, and 4)Family support and child protection programs. Furthermore, 1)Programs related to family formation include (1) adoption services and (2) family mediation services. 2)Alternative child care programs contain (1) home child care, (2) centre-based child care, (3) care by a non-relative in the child's home, and (4) non-market care. 3)Youth programs consist of (1) national stay-in-school initiative, (2) national youth in care network, (3) big brothers/big sisters, and (4) programs for young offenders. And finally, 4)Family support and child protection programs imply (1) strengthening families program, (2) parental support program,(3) parenting skills program, (4) prevention programs, (5) assessment, (6) counseling, (7) day programs, (8) voluntary services, (9) foster care, and so on.